A simmering dispute over the future operation and maintenance of the Boulder Turnpike will take center today and tomorrow when Colorado transportation officials go before the public to defend the terms of a private 50-year contract for the highway.

Colorado Department of Transportation officials will address a growing chorus of concern that the agency is forging a deal with Plenary Roads Denver that hands a disproportionate amount of power and control over the Boulder-to-Denver highway to Plenary, a private consortium chosen last spring by CDOT to complete the second phase of the $425 million U.S. 36 Managed Lanes project and maintain the entire corridor, including ice and snow removal, until 2063.

But before that happens, Sunshine laws should force Colorado's DOT to put all its cards on the table so citizens and their elected representatives are fully informed. According to Boulder's Daily Camera newspaper, the public-private partnership, which is being overseen by CDOT's High-Performance Transportation Enterprise financing arm, also gives the firm maintenance responsibilities along Interstate 25, from U.S. 36 to downtown Denver.

Under the deal, Plenary Roads Denver would collect all revenues from the toll lanes currently being constructed in each direction of the turnpike.

"Before any state highway is privatized, let's have a public discussion about the merits of privatization versus publicly funding the project," said Ken Beitel, spokesman for the Boulder-based alternative energy advocacy group Drive SunShine Institute. "We have no problem with well-written public-private agreements, but this particular deal poses an extreme risk to the Colorado taxpayer."

Among the concerns, Beitel said, is language in a summary of the contract recently released by CDOT that states that a tolled roundtrip voyage between Boulder and Denver cost as much as $28 during peak times, and be adjusted upward for inflation. And the number of occupants per vehicle to qualify as high occupancy, and thus be exempt from tolls, would rise from two to three.

He said the agreement will hamstring the state by making it difficult for it to build roads near the U.S. 36 corridor that might compete with the highway.

"There is language that says if an unplanned facility is constructed that lowers toll revenues on U.S. 36, that the state of Colorado or a municipality that has built the facility will have to compensate Plenary (for) 50 years of lost toll revenue," Beitel said.

But CDOT maintains the concerns are unfounded. "Without a public-private partnership like the one being created with Plenary, improvements to U.S. 36 would still be 20 years away because funding through traditional avenues simply isn't there," says spokeswoman Amy Ford.

Nonetheless, State Sen. Matt Jones, D-Louisville, said the lack of transparency on the CDOT-Plenary contract bothers him.

He and 13 of his colleagues late last month called on CDOT to provide lawmakers 60 days to go over the contract in detail. He said he hasn't gotten a response from the agency, though CDOT does plan to give a presentation on the proposed agreement at the state Capitol on Thursday.

"We shouldn't have secret deals," Jones said. "We should be able to look at the whole contract and see how the state and the company are treated.

"But we can't, because we can't see the contract."

Let's see if Colorado can make significant progress on US36. Ford says specifics of the P3 contract must be kept under wraps, because proprietary financial information in the agreement needs to remain private.

Baloney. If this agreement is justifiable, it must withstand the rigorous public scrutiny it deserves. The veil of secrecy is insulting; it's a disservice to all Coloradoans.

Coloradoans deserve full disclosure on US36 partnership - $28 tools? Colorado transportation officials go before the public to defend the terms of a private 50-year contract for the highway.CDOT chose a private consortium to maintain the entire, Boulder-to-Denver to Plenary corridor highway, including ice and snow removal, until 2063.CDOT should inform the citizens and their elected representatives.Plenary Roads Denver would collect all revenues from the toll lanes currently being constructed in each direction of the turnpike. Before any state highway is privatized, have a public discussion about privatization versus public funding. Tolls would be $28 round trip and the high occupancy lane will be 3 instead of 2 for free toll road travel. If a road is built nearby and the use of the toll road revenues are diminished, the State of Colorado or a municipality that has built the facility will have to compensate Plenary for 50 years of lost toll revenue.The contract should be realeased so people can see how the state and the company are treated. The veil of secrecy is insulting!I'm glad we do not have any toll roads here, all freeway driving. For $28, people can find a way around this road and Not pay a toll. Where are the fuel taxes for the Repair or Replacment of Roads and Bridges, did the taxes get used somewhere else not related to roads and bridges?Drive vehicles with high mpg, are very safe, reliable, have a ‘reasonable’ cost and a good ‘value’ for the money.The price of fuel at the pump is too high!

So you build a toll road, put an exorbitant toll on it and what happens? No one drives on it. What have you gained. A road that is underutilized. If you insist on putting a toll make it reasonable but $28!!! I hope there is enough signs warning drivers before they are trapped.

I agree with you, RobertSpratt, that toll roads deter people from driving on them, thus running companies out of business. Here in Northern Virginia we have the privatization of our High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes and turning them into High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes, which will allow drivers to drive on the present day "HOV" lanes and instead pay tolls in order for them to drive on them. It's just another case of the "haves" versus the "have nots". If you have enough money you can do anything you want. President Obama and his administration with all their leftist policies are widening the gap between these two groups, with the "have nots" falling further and further behind. Obamacare is a prime example of this type of socialistic governance and it must stop!

This is a growing trend. The "private sector can do it better" politicians always forget to tell you that the reason they loot these core function of government assets and turn them over to the private sector is so they can avoid doing their jobs. They don't have to raise taxes or find efficiencies to pay for improvements...they write contracts with the private guys that lets them charge whatever they need and the politician can't be blamed. They always fail to mention that the taxpayer ALWAYS pays more in these deals. Because in these deals, unlike pure accountable government funding streams, they have to have a profit margins built in.

I will avoid that area since it will be "under construction" for the next 5 years since State construction guys are slowwww like they try to stretch a job out. The Chinese toss a bunch of people on a job and its done in a few weeks. Part of Danville, Il. has been detoured since the bridge overpass for a train is lingering into 3 years now.

We have tolls that were put in place in February. It's running companies out of business. No one wants to drive through the toll road to get to restaurants or other businesses. They stay on their side of the toll roads now.